Polarion PH50 vs SUREFIRE BEAST

[IceManArnold]

I was wondering if anyone could tell me why on earth I or anyone would want to pay SUREFIRE $4,100 for their BEAST, pushing 2,300 lumens... when you can spend $2,200 on the Polarion PH50 and get ~5,200 lumens, (~6,400 with a high performance reflector) The Polarian PH50 Helios looks awesome, is shorter than the BEAST, more than twice the power, and half the cost. I currently own only SUREFIRE products, but I may deviate when it comes time to purchase my overkill firehose of light. Any suggestions, thoughts and opinions would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Kiessling]

I can answer with some questions:

- Can the PH50 run on either Li-Ion or CR123?
- Does the PH50 come in a special transport case with built-in charger?
- Does the PH50 sport 10x5mm LEDs for near field illumination and UV checking of documents?
- Is the PH50 as indestructable as the Beast?

The Beast II is a very specialized light and it is most likely that your mission as a flashaholic is not the mission that the Beast II was designed for. This means that its features might be of no importance to you, while mere flux is.
Then, the Beast II is not for you. You are better served with the PH50. As will be 99.9% of all CPF members.
However, there are some people out there who need the features of the Beast II, for those guys, it is worth every penny.

bernie

 

[adamlau]

The Beast II actually has more useful short range flood illumination.
The Beast II has a LOTC to prevent accidental activation of the light.
The Beast II can take primary cells when used in conjuction with the appropriate handle.
The LED array of The Beast II can be used for extended periods of low level light.

BTW, there are no reflector options for the PH50, only the one. And it is 5200 lumens w/ the one reflector.

 

[IceManArnold]

Good points, very good points indeed. I just can't see spending twice as much, and then having to (if you wanted or needed too) put a whopping 20 CR123's in the BEAST. Even at SUREFIRE's really good prices on batteries, that's $1.75 x 20 is $35.00 bones just to power the light that is 1/2 as bright, and costs twice as much. Can you tell me if the beam quality is as good or better than SF? I know you said the Beast has a better flood, but in terms of hot spots, rings, etc, is it as good??

 

[IceManArnold]

I think it must be a typo or something, click on this link and at the bottom of the first or second paragraph it says ~6,400 Lumens. Thanks for the correction, but still, 5,200 is INSANE!!

https://www.fenix-store.com/product_info.php?cPath=87&products_id=411

 

[Patriot]

I think it must be a typo or something, click on this link and at the bottom of the first or second paragraph it says ~6,400 Lumens. Thanks for the correction, but still, 5,200 is INSANE!!

https://www.fenix-store.com/product_info.php?cPath=87&products_id=411

At one time that was the planned output but Polarion made adjustments to keep the runtime at an hour or more. The Fenix Store hasn't corrected the specs yet.

 

[E__WOK]

Good points, very good points indeed. I just can't see spending twice as much, and then having to (if you wanted or needed too) put a whopping 20 CR123's in the BEAST. Even at SUREFIRE's really good prices on batteries, that's $1.75 x 20 is $35.00 bones just to power the light that is 1/2 as bright, and costs twice as much. Can you tell me if the beam quality is as good or better than SF? I know you said the Beast has a better flood, but in terms of hot spots, rings, etc, is it as good??

$35 is chump change to a person who paid $4100 for a light.

 

[RadarGreg]

If lighting up things in the night to impress your friends or coworkers is important, then get the Polarion. If lighting up things in the night to keep you and your friends alive and not blown up by roadside bombs, then get the Surefire. Price can ALWAYS be justified when the cost is in blood or human life.

 

[The Voice of Reason]

It would be a real hoot to see comparison beamshots of these two beauties...:devil:

 

[BVH]

If lighting up things in the night to impress your friends or coworkers is important, then get the Polarion. If lighting up things in the night to keep you and your friends alive and not blown up by roadside bombs, then get the Surefire. Price can ALWAYS be justified when the cost is in blood or human life.

While the Beast is surely an excellent and tough light, so too, is the Polarion Helios. I don't believe the statement above is an accurate depiction of the Helios. I believe both lights are an excellent choice for military use.

VoiceOfReason, look at the Shootout 4 thread for the comparison shots.

 

[adamlau]

If lighting up things...to impress your friends or coworkers is important...get the Polarion. If lighting up things...to keep you and your friends alive and not blown up by roadside bombs...get the Surefire.

I am not so sure about that one .

 

[RadarGreg]

I'm sure the Polarion is a fine light with good product support, quality manufacturing process and excellent customer service. When I'm deployed, I work at a facility that supports a variety of commercial and military products. Part of the support facility ships back products to the manufacturer for repairs or replacement. I've seen several HID lights from various manufacturers go through there on their way back to the States for repair. I've never seen a Surefire Beast or Hellfighter pass through there. I'm not saying Surefire products don't get destroyed or damaged, but I do know combat deployments can take their toll on equipment and some products are built to withstand the abuse better. I believe Surefire lights are engineered to withstand as much damage as possible and still function.

 

[BVH]

Radar, You specifically don't mention having seen any Polarion products come through. Have you seen any Helios's come through for return?

 

[IceManArnold]

I like to stay with one manufacturer of lights I have experience with, enjoy using, and trust. I have (to date) purchased from SUREFIRE the following lights: 6P, 6P Defender, 3- 9P's, L4, L5, E2DL Defender, and soon an Invictus when released for public purchase. With the exception of the 9P's oblong shaped beam, which I really can't stand, all of the rest I own are in my opionion second to none. It's like my car, I love driving my heavlily modified Mustang GT, and to change over to a different kind of car would be very hard. So, even thinking about getting a Helios instead of a BEAST is a big thing for me, but it's getting much much easier the more videos and such I watch on the PH50. That is one bad *** flame thrower of a light. Besides, I can't understand how the BEAST could find something on the road to save lives that the Helios would miss. If anything, I would think you could find more stuff at farther distances with more light, and binoculars, or some type of magnification device.

 

[DM51]

The Polarion Helios is a tough item. They've been vehicle-mounted, weapon-mounted and generally knocked around.

I have dived with mine (I forget the depth, but it was >30m/100ft) and it was banging around in the dive boat before and after that. It still works 100%.

For the rare few who need something super-explosion-proof, the Beast II is going to be the answer, but for the rest of us, the PH40/50 is plenty tough IMO.

 

[RadarGreg]

I have not specifically seen the Polarion or Helios. I have seen a bunch of giant Maglite looking lights that name escapes me at the moment. There appeared to be little physical damage to the exterior, so I concluded it was a problem with the internals. I think last time I was deployed, there were about a half dozen in the shop for repair or shipment back to the manufacturer. I will check in a few weeks when I'm back in Iraq and see what is on the shelves there.

Don't get me wrong; I have nothing against the Helios and have played around with one here in Germany that one of the German CPF members bought. It threw a great beam across the Rhein River, but within a short period of time, it developed a bad bulb and had to have a new one shipped over.

If I had a need for a HID light, I'd probably buy something cheaper than the Beast also. I couldn't justify to myself to pay that much for something that I wouldn't put to severe punishment. But if I did need a tool that could withstand the punishing environment that combat can be, it would be the Beast. With Surefire's near unconditional warranty, if it did fail, I know I could return it and get back one that would be new or near new.

IceManArnold, I think a HID beam is a HID beam; the Beast would perform about the same as the Helios when comparing distance, color and object identification. But I think the Beast would hold up better to getting dropped in the floor of a Humvee from the gunner's turret than the Helios. Maybe when I hit the lotto I'll buy a Beast and a Helios and give them both a drop test.

 

[LukeA]

But I think the Beast would hold up better to getting dropped in the floor of a Humvee from the gunner's turret than the Helios. Maybe when I hit the lotto I'll buy a Beast and a Helios and give them both a drop test.

What about the Polarion CSWL?

link

 

[Patriot]

If lighting up things in the night to impress your friends or coworkers is important, then get the Polarion. If lighting up things in the night to keep you and your friends alive and not blown up by roadside bombs, then get the Surefire. Price can ALWAYS be justified when the cost is in blood or human life.

Not to wear out the issue because I know others have already commented about this, but the Polarion is built quite well. The electronics in these top end HID's are similar in that they all use very high quality components. This means that ballasts, igniters, bulbs, and batteries will provide similar durability when housed in rugged, water proof, shock resistant housings. In some categories such as depth rating, I believe the PH series is capable of much greater depths when the machined tailcap is installed.

Polarion is serious about the military market and it shows in the products that they've been developing. Ken from Polarion has given many examples of the ruggedness of Polarion lights and guys like DM51 are out there beating these lights up in heavy use without failure. It's already a given that SF produces some of the finest and most durable lights on the market, but I don't think it's accurate to suggest that another high quality product can't be capable of similar are equal durability.

In the end, without rigorous scientific testing data, durability is basically a perception. Once several samples of the same light are tested side by side with regards to shock resistance, thermal extremes, water resistance, light output, ergonomics in field, etc, then top categories can be given to each light. Until then we have to rely in individual testimony and there have been good stories attached to each of these lights.

 

[BVH]

IceManArnold, I think a HID beam is a HID beam; the Beast would perform about the same as the Helios when comparing distance, color and object identification. But I think the Beast would hold up better to getting dropped in the floor of a Humvee from the gunner's turret than the Helios. Maybe when I hit the lotto I'll buy a Beast and a Helios and give them both a drop test.

Actually, if you'll look at the shootout IV thread, you'll see the Beast does not produce nor output the level of light that the PH40 or PH50 Helios do. Look at both the tower and the foreground and you'll see that an HID beam is not an HID beam in this case. In this shootout, both the PH40 and 50 provide significantly more light in the foreground and on the tower. Keep in mind that the tower was only 260 Yards in distance. I would think in military use, the ability to throw for long distances in addition to flooding the near-field would be important.

I don't think it is accurate to imply that the Helios is not up to the ruggedness of the Beast when there is no experience to back it up.

 

[RadarGreg]

Ok, this is going to quickly turn to a thread of favorites, so I'll just leave it at both lights are well built and perform well. Like a Ferrari or Lamborghini, both are high end lights and out of the price range of most of us.